Is 'Eden (Isn’t It Just Like You?)' Biblical? | The Berean Test (2024)

Benjamin William Hastings has been a writer for the Hillsong megachurch since 2013. He released his self-titled album in 2022.

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Benjamin-william-hastings-eden-isnt-it-just-like-you-lyrics.

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1. What message does the song communicate?

Hastings draws imagery from the Garden of Eden and the hill where Jesus was crucified to make the same two points: Hastings is a transgressor of the law and the Son of God liberated him from the second death through His death and resurrection. Hastings will spend his eternity with God, within the second Eden and its associated tree of life.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

The entire song does.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1-3: References the events in Genesis 3:1-7.

Lines 4 and 5: Had Adam and Eve been allowed to stay in the garden, they would have lived forever there (Genesis 3:22), hiding from God (Genesis 3:8) for all eternity. Thus, they would have entered a state of eternal separation from God (Matthew 18:7-9, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43, Romans 6:23, Jude 1:7, and Revelation 14:11). God kicking them out of Eden in Genesis 3:23-24 rescued them from this fate.

Line 6: Hastings identifies with the faults and failures of Adam and Eve as summarized in Jeremiah 17:9.

[Chorus]

Lines 1-7: As stated in Genesis 50:20.

Lines 8-10: Repeats lines 3-5.

[Verse 2]

Lines 1 and 2: Also known as Golgotha or “the skull”, Calvary is where Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, and John 19:17). The English name “Calvary” derives from the Vulgate Latin “Calvariae”, which means “skullcap”.

Line 3: That is, Jesus was mocked (Matthew 27:27-30, Matthew 27:39-44, Mark 14:65, Mark 15:16-19, Mark 15:29-32, Luke 23:11, Luke 23:39, and John 19:3).

Lines 4 and 5: Repeats Verse 1, lines 4 and 5.

Line 6: Makes the same point as Verse 1, line 6, except the reference is the thieves to Jesus’ left and right (Matthew 23:29, Mark 15:27-32, and Luke 23:33).

[Post-Chorus (1)]

Lines 1 and 2: Essentially repeats Chorus, line 1.

[Bridge]

Lines 1-6: According to John 19:41, Jesus was buried near a garden. Of course, he was not literally weeping in blood and tears there, as He was already dead! However, line 5 clarifies that the bloody tears represent His crucifixion, which has been covered in Verse 2, lines 1 and 2.

Lines 7 and 8: References Genesis 3:15.

Lines 9-12: This is so, because Christ defeated death (Isaiah 25:8, Hosea 13:14, Luke 20:35-36, 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, 2 Timothy 1:10, and Hebrews 2:14).

Lines 13-16: Ultimately, those who are God’s will live eternally with Him (Mark 10:29-30, John 3:15-16, John 3:36, John 4:14, John 5:24, John 5:39-40, John 6:27, John 6:40, John 10:28, John 17:3, John 20:31, Romans 5:21, Romans 6:22-23, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Galatians 6:8, 1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:11, Hebrews 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 John 2:23-27, 1 John 5:10-13, 1 John 5:20, Jude 1:20-21, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 7:16-17, and Revelation 21:3-4). Death cannot take that away.

[Post-Chorus (2)]

Lines 1-4: Repeats/essentially repeats Chorus, line 1. Line 2 contains a reference to Revelation 21:5.

Line 5: Essentially repeats the last part of line 2.

Line 6: God will complete what He desires on His timetable, not ours (2 Peter 3:9).

[Outro]

Lines 1 and 2: References Revelation 22:2.

Line 3: That is because He will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).

Lines 4 and 5: Repeats Verse 1, lines 4 and 5.

Lines 6 and 7: Not the Eden that Adam and Eve sinned, but the new Eden where Hastings will inherit eternal life. See Scripture on this topic within my commentary on Bridge, lines 13-16.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

This song is written in everyday language, with words like “Eden”, “Adam”, “Eve”, “Calvary”, and “tree of life” that point to the familiar Genesis account and the place where Jesus died. Unbelievers should easily walk away thinking that this song teaches on unified message: God takes the terrible things that happen in our lives and turns them around for good. He wants them to receive eternal life with Him.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies Jesus as the One who died and rose again for Hastings’ redemption. Hastings will spend eternity thanking Christ for what He’s done.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Benjamin William Hastings’ Eden (Isn’t It Just Like You?) is wonderful. It reminds us that Jesus loves us despite our failures, willing to die for our faults and pay for our redemption so that we’d inherit eternal life. He rose from the dead and will welcome us home, as we eat from the new tree of life. These points bring Him glory. Unbelievers will conclude similarly.

I highly recommend this song for corporate worship.

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: Eden (Isn’t It Just Like You?) (listen to the song)

Artist: Benjamin William Hastings

Album: Benjamin William Hastings

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 2022

Duration: 4:36

Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

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Is 'Eden (Isn’t It Just Like You?)' Biblical? | The Berean Test (2024)

FAQs

Is Benjamin William Hastings married? ›

Recently, Hastings and his family moved to Los Angeles, CA where he and is his wife Jessa Hastings (Author of novel; Magnolia Parks) still don't write together but are hard at work on their respective crafts.

What does your hidden glory in creation mean? ›

Your hidden glory in creation, Now revealed in You our Christ." From the very outset of the song, we're reminded of Christ's divinity and His eternal existence. This is a profound mystery: that the Word, through whom all things were created, would step into creation as Jesus, revealing the heart of the Father.

What is a beautiful name review? ›

Loaded with Scripture, it brings glory to the beauty, wonder, and power in the name of Jesus. I did not find a single line that is not biblically or theologically sound. Unbelievers should easily interpret similarly. I highly recommend this song for corporate worship.

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Who did Captain Hastings marry? ›

When forced to choose between Poirot and his wife in that novel, he chose Poirot. The two were an airtight team until Hastings met and married Dulcie Duveen, a beautiful music hall performer he met in The Murder on the Links. They later emigrated to Argentina, leaving Poirot behind a "very unhappy old man".

What is celestial glory in the Bible? ›

The celestial kingdom is the highest of the three kingdoms of glory. Those in this kingdom will dwell forever in the presence of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. This should be your goal: to inherit celestial glory and to help others receive that great blessing as well.

What does the Bible say about hidden glory? ›

His glory is not to be hidden, but to be seen. To be revealed. Colossians 1:24-29 sums this up: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for His body, that is, the Church.

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Joseph Smith taught that the highest degree of glory, or highest degree of heaven, is called the celestial kingdom and is where God and His Son, Jesus Christ, dwell.

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What is the most beautiful sounding name? ›

These are the 100 'most beautiful-sounding' baby names, according to science - they're pretty but would you choose one?
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What is a beautiful name of Jesus in the Bible verse? ›

Philippians 2:9-11 - "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Who writes music for Breaking Benjamin? ›

Benjamin Jackson Burnley IV (born March 10, 1978) is an American musician and the founder and frontman of the rock band Breaking Benjamin. As the sole constant and namesake of the group, Burnley has served as its principal songwriter, lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist since its inception in 1999.

What song did Paul Williams write? ›

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What does Arthur Hastings do for a living? ›

Hastings then acquires a ranch in Argentina and settles down to a life as a ranchholder. Hastings's appearances in Poirot's later novels are restricted to a few cases in which he participates on his periodic returns to England from Argentina.

When was Captain Hastings born? ›

Similarly to his friend Poirot, details of Hastings's life before 1916 are not revealed, though the reader is able to pinpoint Hastings's approximate birth year as 1886 from the first chapter of The Mysterious Affair at Styles, as he mentions that John Cavendish was 'a good fifteen years [his] senior' though hardly ...

How many members does Hillsong have? ›

150,000

How many albums does Hillsong United have? ›

Hillsong United (stylised as Hillsong UNITED or UNITED) is a contemporary worship collective originating from Hillsong Church. Since forming in 1998 out of the church's youth ministry, the group has released fifteen live albums and six studio albums.

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